Report: Setauket Man Called Queens Hit-and-Run Victim a Terrorist

A 55-year-old Setauket man has been accused of a hate crime after he allegedly ran over a Sikh man in Queens last month and called him a terrorist, according to reports.

The NYPD arrested Joseph Caleca Monday and charged him with attempted murder and assault, both as hate crimes.

Police said in a news release that Caleca was driving a GMC pick-up truck down a Queens street on July 30 and had to stop after the 29-year-old victim exited his parked car, preventing Caleca from passing.

The two men then became involved in an argument, which quickly escalated after Caleca allegedly struck the victim twice with his car. Police said Caleca allegedly ran the victim over with his pick-up truck and dragged him several feet before allegedly fleeing the scene.

Rashed Mian has been covering local news for the Long Island Press since 2011. He graduated from Hofstra University in 2010 where he studied print journalism. Rashed, the staff's multimedia reporter, covers daily news for the web, shoots/edits feature videos and writes about civil liberties. He loves Afghan food and sports. Rashed is also a caffeine freak. Email: rmian@longislandpress.com. Twitter: rashedmian